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Topic: How to tell a craft brewer his beer is seriously flawed (Read 7184 times)

They will sink eventually. Everyone has tried a beer for its label, advertising or just on a whim, but flawed beer will not bring anyone back. And if it does, well, the brewery is damn lucky. You wrote a nice tactful letter that gave them a suggestion - a lifeline - but they weren't looking to take it. Pretty sad.

I'm not really surprised that they are ignoring you. They ask for feedback, but they don't really want it.

Although for the record, a triangle tasting would be totally inappropriate for picking out flaws if you are using someone else's beer. You could do a triangle with SNPA and FWP31 and pick out the one that is different every single time, but that doesn't mean there is anything wrong with either beer.

I thought of that, but wouldn't the taster have a predisposition to look for flaws in the beer? My thought was you have 1 flAwed beer (theirs) and one flawless beer (snpa), and it would be a bit more 'blind'. How would you construct the tasting?

I thought of that, but wouldn't the taster have a predisposition to look for flaws in the beer? My thought was you have 1 flAwed beer (theirs) and one flawless beer (snpa), and it would be a bit more 'blind'. How would you construct the tasting?

What they really need is sensory analysis training to learn what the flaws taste like. It's true that many people will like some flaws - the raisiny/sherry flavor of oxidation, nice buttery diacetyl, appley acetylaldehyde - these are not all bad flavors, they just don't belong in beer. Most people don't recognize that.

Being self-critical is a rare and useful skill. I'm not too shocked at their response, but they were lucky to have someone bring it too them. Most future reviews will be on BeerAdvocate, Yelp, etc. Unfortunately, they can probably survive on uninformed customers - but they won't thrive.

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Delmarva United Homebrewers - President by inverse coup - former president ousted himself.AHA Member since 2006BJCP Certified: B0958

The brewer and founder of a new farm brewery/hop farm in our area came to one of my clubs meetings recently. They have an AMAZING story, great packaging, and seemed like great guys overall. They are doing cool festivals, do a lot for their community, and have helped with legislative matters.

Then we tried their beer....

Every one of them (4 different beers) produced on a 7bbl system were extremely flawed. Acetaldehyde, fusels, lots of sulfur (?)...borderline offensive beer.

They said they would love feedback, but I didn't necessarily feel comfortable sitting back, twirling my imaginary mustache, and asking them about pitch rates and yeast viability. However I did ask them, "What yeast do you use in this beer", to which they both replied with quizzical looks. Mind you, there was an amber, an IPA, a bitter, and a stout. The reply was "one of the dry ones", but I'm not even sure they were fully confident in their answer.

Part of me was thinking of emailing them privately and suggesting they get some formal sensory analysis done (politely). I am awaiting my BJCP written exam grade, but am currently only a Provisional judge, so I'm not sure if that means me.

Thoughts from pro brewers? Homebrewers?

The President needs to create a new position called the Brewing Czar. Along with your TTB license you have to pass an oral interview with The Brewing Czar and they will evaluate your beer, brewing knowldege and tell you EXACTLY what they think. If your beer sucks and you don't know crap, then no license for you. They'll be told things like "don't re-apply until pitching rates and temperature control are no longer foreign ideas to you".

Oh God no! I hope you are joking! TTB already has way too much power as is! As long as the said brewery in question is not making anyone sick they should have the right to live or die on the virtues of their product.

I thought of that, but wouldn't the taster have a predisposition to look for flaws in the beer? My thought was you have 1 flAwed beer (theirs) and one flawless beer (snpa), and it would be a bit more 'blind'. How would you construct the tasting?

What they really need is sensory analysis training to learn what the flaws taste like. It's true that many people will like some flaws - the raisiny/sherry flavor of oxidation, nice buttery diacetyl, appley acetylaldehyde - these are not all bad flavors, they just don't belong in beer. Most people don't recognize that.

Exactly - the best way is through a doctored beer, take some SNPA and add acetaldehyde to it so they can pick out the off flavor. Then explain that it is an OFF FLAVOR.

Oh God no! I hope you are joking! TTB already has way too much power as is! As long as the said brewery in question is not making anyone sick they should have the right to live or die on the virtues of their product.

Agree absolutely. The LAST thing you want are the government clowns (I don't care what party's in power) in charge. The government is a metaphor for FUBAR. We'd just have more expensive beer due to more regulations. It's in that brewery's best interest (profit) to make good beer. That and competition from good breweries will force them to make good beer--or else.

The industry will have more situations like this very soon. A friend works part time for a supplier located in Ypsilanti MI. He goes to the CBC every year as one of the people at the booth in the trade show. He said it was huge this year in DC, and that they had high traffic at the booth, with many potential buyers looking to start a brewey. The thing that had him shaking his head was that half had never brewed beer and had no knowledge of the process.

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Jeff RankertAnn Arbor Brewers Guild, AHA Member, BJCP CertifiedHome-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!